How much does the FE exam cost?
The FE exam costs $225 per attempt, paid to NCEES at registration, and you pay that full fee again each time you register for a new attempt. Rescheduling or canceling an appointment costs $50, paid to Pearson, if you do it at least 48 hours ahead. Some licensing boards add a separate application fee, and examinees approved through a foreign entity also pay a nonrefundable $25 international scheduling fee. The FE Reference Handbook is free.
What you pay NCEES
You pay the $225 exam fee directly to NCEES when you register, using MasterCard, VISA, or American Express online. Each new registration requires the full fee again, so a second registration or any later attempt costs another $225.
Approval gives you 12 months to sit for the exam. If you do not test and do not cancel within those 12 months, you forfeit the registration fee. The cost of the PE exam is a separate fee and does not belong in your FE total.
Rescheduling and cancellation fees
Once you have an appointment, Pearson charges $50 to reschedule it and $50 to cancel it, and you must complete either change at least 48 hours before the appointment time.
This $50 Pearson fee is separate from the $50 NCEES administrative fee: the Pearson fee applies when you move or drop an appointment, while the administrative fee applies when you cancel the registration itself. If your exam status is Unscheduled, cancel the registration in MyNCEES and you get the fee back less that $50 administrative fee, a refund of $175 on the $225 fee. Changing your exam discipline or your licensing board follows the same path: you cancel the existing registration for a refund of $175, then re-register for the full $225.
For listed emergencies on test day, such as a car accident on the way, a medical emergency, military duty, or jury duty, NCEES may allow a free reschedule or a full refund if your documentation reaches NCEES within 14 days.
The steps for these changes are in how to schedule, reschedule, or cancel the FE exam.
Licensing board fees
Some licensing boards require a separate application and application fee before you can sit for an NCEES exam, and that board fee is separate from the $225 you pay NCEES.
The Texas board’s page gives one published example: the EIT application, which you file after you pass. A Texas EIT has graduated from a board-approved engineering or related science program, passed the FE, and applied on the board’s EIT form with a $15 fee, though the board asks applicants not to apply until the degree is conferred. For the general path, see EIT or EI certification, then follow the board that will review your application.
The international scheduling fee
Examinees approved through a foreign entity pay a $25 international scheduling fee at registration, charged along with the $225 exam fee, and the $25 is nonrefundable.
A degree from outside the United States is a separate eligibility question. Add the $25 to your budget only when a foreign entity approved you.
The handbook and NCEES practice exams
The FE Reference Handbook is a free download in MyNCEES, and how you use the FE Reference Handbook during the exam is part of preparing.
NCEES sells its own practice exams inside MyNCEES, and the price is shown only after you log in, so add one to your budget once you see that price on your account.
A sample budget
Pay only the rows that match your case.
| Situation | Amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| First registration | $225 | Exam fee paid to NCEES |
| Reschedule once | $50 | Paid to Pearson, at least 48 hours before the appointment |
| Cancel a scheduled appointment | $50 | Paid to Pearson, at least 48 hours before the appointment |
| Cancel while Unscheduled | $175 refund | $225 fee minus the $50 administrative fee |
| One retake | $225 | New registration. Full exam fee paid to NCEES again |
| Approved through a foreign entity | $25 | Nonrefundable international scheduling fee at registration |
| Texas EIT application | $15 | Fee on the board’s EIT form after the degree is conferred |
A first sitting with no date change is just the $225 registration. One reschedule adds the $50 Pearson charge, and one retake adds another $225, since how many times you can take the FE exam sets the attempt rules but each registration still requires the full fee.
Leave out the $25 unless a foreign entity approved you, and leave out the $15 unless you are submitting the Texas EIT form after your degree is conferred. If your board charges an application fee, use the figure on its page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the FE exam fee refundable?
If your status is Unscheduled, cancel the registration in MyNCEES and you receive the fee back less a $50 administrative fee, a $175 refund. Canceling an appointment you already hold instead costs $50 paid to Pearson, and you must do it at least 48 hours before the appointment. For a listed emergency on test day, NCEES may allow a free reschedule or a full refund if your documentation reaches NCEES within 14 days.
Does the FE exam cost the same in every state?
The fee you pay NCEES to register is $225 per attempt everywhere. Some licensing boards also require a separate application and application fee before you can sit, and that amount is outside the NCEES charge. The Texas board’s page, for example, says a Texas EIT has graduated from a board-approved engineering or related science program, passed the FE, and applied on the board’s EIT form with a $15 fee, and the board asks applicants not to apply until the degree is conferred.
How much does it cost to retake the FE exam?
A retake is a new registration, so you pay the full $225 exam fee to NCEES again. If you are approved and then neither test nor cancel within 12 months, you forfeit the registration fee.
Is the FE Reference Handbook free?
Yes. The FE Reference Handbook is a free download in MyNCEES, so it adds no cost to your exam budget. NCEES practice exams inside MyNCEES are sold separately, and the price is shown only after you log in.
Sources
- NCEES: FE exam. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF). Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- Texas board: Certification of Engineer in Training (EIT). Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- MyNCEES exam prep (handbooks and practice exams). Retrieved October 3, 2026.